The Dying Dalia

1

        Dalia 

         He was 17 years old when I met him. Only a year older than I. 
        His blue eyes were the first thing I noticed, the way they would sparkle when the sun hit the side of his face, brightening them. And though his eyes were breathtakingly beautiful, they made me feel slightly insecure with my dim brown eyes. But then, I noticed how he seemed completely different than all the other men in the uniforms, so innocent and young, this thought distracting me from his looks.  

        I wondered, how could someone ever be so cruel and want to work for a man as evil as Hitler? I could tell he was a young Nazi worker by the uniform he was sporting. Our eyes met for a brief moment before I dashed out of sight. 

        Mid 1942- Berlin, Germany

         My father had told me exactly 13 days ago that i was not to leave our house without his permission and I had obeyed his order till now. I had been in hiding for too long for someone as adventurous as I am, I needed to get out.

        I snuck a peek in each room to make sure everyone living with us was asleep before I made my way down the stairs. I tried to be as quiet as possible but one of my floorboards made a crack and I heard someone coming to check what was going on. 

        I looked up to see my younger sister, Ana, hovering over me. “What are you doing?” she asked.

        “I’m just going to get a glass of water, do you want a glass?” She didn’t look convinced one bit so I continued, “okay, so I’m going out. Please don’t tell father and mother, you know they wouldn’t approve.” I begged her. She agreed but told me that if i wasn’t back within an hour, she would come looking for me. I promised I’d be back within that time frame and I wished her a goodnight.

       

         I walked in the rain for a while before I came across some guards breaking into my old classmate’s family owned bakery. I hid behind a vehicle and watched for a couple minutes. Many of them broke the glass and door so they could get through. I knew something awful was going to happen. I stood there in awe, deciding what I should do. I couldn’t just run up and confront them, I would get arrested since I’m a Jew as well. But I couldn’t just stand here and watch.

“Why are you hiding behind this piece of junk?” A deep voice said from behind me, his voice hushed so the guards wouldn’t hear. I turned to face him and I was shocked to see it was him. The young Nazi who caught my eye a few weeks ago.

       “Please don’t take me away,” I looked at the Nazi’s walking into the bakery and yelling for the family to come down from their apartment above. “I will leave right now, I promise. I won’t say anything.”

        He grabbed my arm and I think I went into shock. I thought he was going to kill me right there but instead he quickly pulled me deep into an alley. “You need to stay in here and when they’re gone, I’ll come back and take you home. Deal?” I could barely make out his smile because it was so dark but I caught it promptly. I agreed and he ran out leaving me in the alley alone.

        I waited there for just a few minutes before I heard loud screams and a couple gun shots. I knew most of the family had been shot. I heard an order come from a man telling one of the Nazi’s to take the last man standing to prison.

       God damn it. I thought to myself, why would I trust that guy hiding me here if he works for the Nazi’s? I’m probably the next one to be put in prison, even worse, I could get myself shot.